NJ Traffic Ticket Attorney

Because your past driving behavior is indicative of your future behavior on the road, your driving history is a major factor in how your risk is viewed and, in turn, how your premium gets calculated. Let’s look into how your driving record affects your auto insurance rates.

DMV Points and Your Driving Record

Many states use a points system for tickets and moving violations. The points go on your driving record and stay for specified periods of time (determined by your state and by the violation). The more points you accumulate, the more likely you are to lose your driver’s license, and the higher the risk you pose to your car insurance company.

When you are considered a “high-risk driver” by your insurance provider, you are subject to higher car insurance rates because you are more likely to file a claim than someone with a better driving record.

Violations still go on your record even if you live in a state that does not use the points system. Moving violations such as speeding, reckless driving, and DUI on your record will still result in premium increases.

Learn more about how points and other infractions affect your car insurance rates by clicking this link: http://www.dmv.org

Points for NJ Speeding Tickets

Here are a few examples of the points you will receive for speeding in New Jersey:

• 1 to 14 MPH over speed limit = 2 points
• 15 to 29 MPH over speed limit = 4 points
• 30 MPH or more over speed limit = 5 points

Speeding is the leading cause of car accidents so law enforcement takes it very seriously. In New Jersey you can receive a speeding ticket from a variety of law enforcement agencies including the New Jersey State Police, a county sheriff or city police departments.

Click Here for full information: www.njpoints.com The site also includes a link to a defensive driving course which is one way that you can remove points on your license.

Many people watch fun car-racing movies and enjoy the thrill they feel from them. Some of these people think it might be possible to take their own cars out and race them in order to recreate that thrill in real life.  Unfortunately, unlike in the movie world, these actions can have very real and deadly consequences.  Below is an outline of the penalties that one could incur if they chose to race their own car on a highway in the state of NJ:

There are two statutes in the Motor Vehicle Code that makes it illegal to race on a highway.N.J.S.A. 39:4-52 makes it a motor vehicle offense to operate a vehicle on a highway for a wager or in a race or for the purpose of making a speed record. This violation is a disorderly persons offense. It is also a disorderly persons offense to arrange, manage, encourage, assist in, hold, or attempt to hold any such race or speed race even.

FINES AND COSTS

A driver who is convicted of N.J.S.A. 39:4-52 must pay a fine of not less than $27, nor more than $102 for a first offense.

For a second or subsequent offense of N.J.S.A. 39:4-52, the driver must pay a fine of not less than $102, nor more than $202.

SUSPENSION FOR RACING

In most racing cases the Municipal Court Judge will suspend a driver’s license for 30 days. A Municipal Court judge has the option of suspending the driver’s sentence for up to 2 years. The suspension period is left up to the discretion of the court. The key issue for the court to decide is whether the suspension was willful. Upon conviction of racing on the highway the driver will be assessed five points.

Source: http://www.newjerseytrafficlawcenter.com/

The bottom line is: Racing on public streets/highways is dangerous as well as very illegal.  Leave it to the professionals and the Hollywood movie teams!

What do you think about drivers being fined for driving too slowly? A Senator Donald Norcross wants to make sure slower drivers stay to the right, he hopes the legislation will help fight road rage. A bill in the New Jersey legislature would double the minimum fine for slowpoke drivers from $50 to $100, and the maximum fine would rise from $200 to $300. It was recently approved by New Jersey’s Senate Transportation Committee. New Jersey’s “keep right” law is already one of the toughest in the U.S.

Surcharges are fines assessed by MVC on an annual basis for drivers who have earned excessive points or committed a specific violation such as DUI. Surcharges are in addition to any court fines/penalties. If you have received a notice in the mail or discovered there is a lien on your property because of a surcharge, please call (609) 292-7500 for more information.

Why do you get surcharges?
Your record is reviewed every time points are added to it. If you accumulate six or more points within three years from your last posted violation, you will receive a $150 surcharge plus $25 for each additional point.

Additional surcharges may also apply:
$100 for driving without a license
$250 for driving with a suspended license
$100 for failure to insure a moped
$250 for operating an uninsured vehicle
$1,000 for DUI, 3 years
$1,000 for Refusal to take breathalyzer test, 3 years

If you do not pay your surcharges, MVC will suspend your driving privileges indefinitely and take action in the State Superior Court. This may include securing a lien against your property, garnishing your wages or other similar actions. Payment plans are available to MVC customers.

If you have surcharges that result from unpaid tickets or other unresolved legal issues, you will need to contact the court that is responsible for your case. For help determining which court you need to contact, call MVC Violations at (609) 292-7500.

Source: http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/Violations/Surcharges.htm

Avoid Surcharges – Don’t drink underage, don’t drink and drive, don’t get caught in bad situations, resolve tickets in a timely manner, and insure your vehicle.

Everything you need to fight an unfair ticket!

We’ve all received one — a traffic ticket that seems completely unfair, the result of an officer’s evening quota rather than a serious moving violation. But do you have to pay the penalty and watch your driving record crash and burn?

Not if you choose to fight back with Beat Your Ticket.

Beat Your Ticket simply and clearly lays out the best strategies for beating tickets in court. The book explains in plain English how to:

use the law to fight an unwarranted ticket
find out what the police officer plans to say at your trial
attack radar and other detection methods
pick a jury
present your case
cross-examine the ticketing officer

The 6th edition is extensively updated to reflect your state’s current traffic laws and court procedures.
About the Author
David Brown practices law in the Monterey, California area, where he has represented both landlords and tenants in hundreds of court cases — most of which he felt could have been avoided if both sides were more fully informed about landlord/tenant law. Brown, a graduate of Stanford University (chemistry) and the University of Santa Clara Law School, also teaches law at the Monterey College of Law and is the author of Fight Your Ticket (CA version), Beat Your Ticket (the national version), The Landlord’s Law Book, Vol. 1: Rights and Responsibilities; The Landlord’s Law Book, Vol. 2: Evictions and co-author of How to Change Your Name in California and The Guardianship Book for California.

Beat Your Ticket: Go to Court & Win

There are a few ways you can detect a speed trap and avoid or prepare for them.

1. Trapster is a mobile app where users share real time information. See Trapster.com

2.   Use a Radar Detector.  (If your state allows them).

3.  Watch other drivers – if they are slowing down for no apparent reason, there may be a speed trap ahead.

4.  Be aware of speed limit changes.  Cops often wait for drivers that fail to recognize speed limit changes, especially when a road expands to more lanes yet the limit decreases.

5.  Use caution on national holidays and around major events – where people gather, so do police.

6.   School zones are the number one hot spot for speed traps.

7.  Take note where you see a speed trap, odds are it will reappear often.

8.  If another driver flashes their headlights at you, it may be a courteous way of saying there is a cop fishing for speeders ahead.  Raise your awareness.

9.  Be aware when coming around sharp turns or cresting on a hill, when you can’t see the road ahead.  Cops know you can’t see them by the time they radar you.

10.  When going from a rural road into town or to a populated area, always watch for speed traps.

1. Be nice to the police officer: Be nice to the officer… but don’t forget to argue, respectfully, when you know you’re right or if there is a legitimate reason or cause for the violation, such as avoiding an accident or not being able to see the light change ahead due to a large vehicle in front of you.  Police organization support stickers and cards help too.

2. Just Admit It: Admit what you did wrong if you’re the guilty party. For example,  if there is a family emergency and you are hurrying to get home, tell the officer – he/she may let you off and try to be helpful in the process.  But be honest.

Sometimes that won’t work, and you’ll find yourself in court anyway. If that’s the case…

3. Come prepared with evidence: One person got his ticket dropped thanks to proof shown on Google Maps; if traffic signs were obscured or damaged, your ticket might get dropped as well.

4. Talk to the prosecutor before court is in session: If you’re willing, you might be able to strike a deal where you can pay the fine without getting the points. You win some, you lose some.  You can also get a good attorney to fight for you.

5. Don’t violate any traffic laws in the first place and be familiar with NJ traffic laws.

And of course avoid the easy to get violations – not wearing your seat belt, talking on the phone, keep your car’s inspection and registration up to date.

Many people want to know how to fight a traffic ticket, but they usually try to do it themselves. The best way to fight a traffic ticket is by hiring a traffic ticket attorney. Traffic Ticket Attorneys specialize in fighting traffic tickets for speeding, improper turns, accidents and other infractions. Before going to court to fight the ticket, you should contact an attorney and find out what your outcome could possibly be if you were to hire him or her.

There is one thing that a person can do for themselves at the time a traffic ticket is being issued; take down notes that will help the traffic ticket attorney defend your case. Note the time of day, the weather conditions, and where the sun is if it is an accident. Note the speed limit sign and where it is located to where you were stopped. If it is an accident, make sure to survey the area and the other car.

Drivers can do one thing to help in any situation.

Carry a disposable camera in the glove box. If something were to happen, you will have a camera to take pictures that might help with your case. Sometimes, a driver cannot see things in the pictures that an attorney can see. Traffic Ticket Attorneys are trained to look for the obvious and work from there.

If you feel your speedometer was correct and the Officer that stopped you was wrong, take your car immediately to a garage and have the speedometer read. This information will help an attorney defend you in a case where a speeding ticket was issued.

Okay, you ran that stop sign, failed to yield, sped in a school zone, and had a broken tail light; then to top it off, you forgot your wallet at home and your insurance card is expired! To make matters worse, because you argued with the Officer, or he was having a bad day, you were cited for every single offense.

So, do you pay the fines, or take your chances in Traffic Ticket Court? Your best bet is to go to court with a competent Traffic Ticket Attorney. When I was 18 and received my first traffic ticket for speeding, I made the mistake of just paying for the fines through the mail; and then found out from an angry phone call from my mother, that I received 4 points on my license and her insurance rate went up. The next ticket I received, several months later, I fought and received no points; but I did have to pay a fine (which is minimal compared to what your insurance company charges for having points on your license).

Additionally, you never know what the Judge will order, or what the District Attorney may offer you. Usually, at the very least, they will let you pay a reduced fine for not having the proper documentation at the time of the incident, if you bring the proper documentation with you to court. Can’t afford to pay the fine? Community Service and payment plans are also options.

In addition, if the Officer fails to show up at your trial, they may drop the charges altogether. However, in most cases, the charges are reduced, and sometimes even dropped, even if the Officer appears in court.